In the prior art, the Fischer-Tropsch process has been used for decades to assist in the formulation of hydrocarbons. In the last several years, this has become a concern giving the escalating environmental concerns regarding pollution together with the increasing costs of hydrocarbon exploration and refining. The major producers in this area have expanded the art significantly in this technological area with a number of patented advances and pending applications in the form of publications.
In the art, advances made in terms of the raw materials that have been progenitor materials for the Fischer-Tropsch process, have included, for example, coal-to-liquid (CTL), bio-to-liquid (BTL) and gas-to-liquid (GTL). One of the more particularly advantageous features of the gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology is the fact that it presents a possibility to formulate a higher value environmentally beneficial synthetic diesel product or syndiesel from stranded natural gas reserves, which would otherwise have not been commercially feasible to bring to market. As is generally known, the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process converts hydrogen and carbon monoxide (commonly known as syngas) into liquid hydrocarbon fuels, examples of which include synthetic diesel, naphtha, kerosene, aviation or jet fuel and paraffinic wax. As a precursory step, the natural gas is thermally converted using heat and pressure in the presence of catalyst to produce a hydrogen rich syngas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide. As a result of the Fischer-Tropsch technique, the synthetic fuels are very appealing from an environmental point of view, since they are paraffinic in nature and substantially devoid of contamination. This is particularly true in the case of the diesel fuel synthesis where the synthetic product has ideal properties for diesel engines, including extremely high cetane rating>70, negligible aromatics and sulphur content, in addition to enabling optimum combustion and virtually emission free operation. Synthetic diesel or syndiesel fuels significantly reduce nitrous oxide and particulate matter when compared with petroleum based diesel fuel.
One example of recent advances that have been made in this area of technology includes the features taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,958,363, issued to Espinoza, et al., Oct. 25, 2005. In the document, Espinoza et al. provide for hydrogen use in a GTL plant.
In essence, the patent teaches a process for synthesizing hydrocarbons where initially, a synthesis gas stream is formulated in a syngas generator. The synthesis gas stream comprises primarily hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The process involves catalytically converting the synthesis gas stream in a synthesis reaction to produce hydrocarbons and water followed by the generation of hydrogen-rich stream in the hydrogen generator. The process indicates that the hydrogen generator is separate from the syngas generator (supra) and that the hydrogen generator comprises either a process for converting hydrocarbons to olefins, a process for catalytically dehydrogenating hydrocarbons, or a process for refining petroleum, and a process for converting hydrocarbons to carbon filaments. The final step in the process in its broadest sense, involves consumption of hydrogen from the hydrogen-rich stream produced in one or more processes that result and increase value of the hydrocarbons or the productivity of the conversion of the hydrocarbons from the earlier second mentioned step.
Although a useful process, it is evident from the disclosure of Espinoza et al. that there is a clear intent to create olefins such as ethylene and propylene for petrochemical use, and aromatics for gasoline production. Additionally, there is a reforming step indicated to include the reformation of naphtha feedstock to generate a net surplus hydrogen by-product which is then recombined into the process. The naphtha is subsequently converted to aromatics for high octane gasoline blend stock. There is no specific contemplation and therefore no discussion of effectively destroying the naphtha for purposes of enhancing the Fischer-Tropsch process which, in turn, results in the significant augmentation of hydrocarbon synthesis.
The Espinoza et al. process is an excellent gas to a liquid process link to gasoline production from natural gas using naphtha reformation to make the gasoline product. In the disclosure, it was discovered that the excess hydrogen could be used to enhance the productivity of conversion.
A further significant advancement in this area of technology is taught by Bayle et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 7,214,720, issued May 8, 2007. The reference is directed to the production of liquid fuels by a concatenation of processes for treatment of a hydrocarbon feedstock.
It is indicated in the disclosure that the liquid fuels begin with the organic material, typically biomass as a solid feedstock. The process involves a stage for the gasification of the solid feedstock, a stage for purification of synthesis gas and subsequently a stage for transformation of the synthesis gas into a liquid fuel.
The patentees indicate in column 2 the essence of the technology:                “A process was found for the production of liquid fuels starting from a solid feedstock that contains the organic material in which:        a) The solid feedstock is subjected to a gasification stage so as to convert said feedstock into synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen,        b) the synthesis gas that is obtained in stage a) is subjected to a purification treatment that comprises an adjustment for increasing the molar ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide, H2/CO, up to a predetermined value, preferably between 1.8 and 2.2,        c) the purified synthesis gas that is obtained in stage b) is subjected to a conversion stage that comprises the implementation of a Fischer-Tropsch-type synthesis so as to convert said synthesis gas into a liquid effluent and a gaseous effluent,        d) the liquid effluent that is obtained in stage c) is fractionated so as to obtain at least two fractions that are selected from the group that consists of: a gaseous fraction, a naphtha fraction, a kerosene fraction, and a gas oil fraction, and        e) at least a portion of the naphtha fraction is recycled in gasification stage.”        
Although a meritorious procedure, the overall process does not result in increased production of hydrocarbons. The naphtha recycle stream that is generated in this process is introduced into the gasification stage. This does not directly augment the syngas volume to the Fischer-Tropsch reactor which results in increased volumes of hydrocarbons being produced giving the fact that the feedstock is required for the process. To introduce the naphtha to the gasification stage as taught in Bayle et al., is to modify the H2/CO ratio in the gasification stage using an oxidizing agent such as water vapour and gaseous hydrocarbon feedstocks such as natural gas with the recycled naphtha, while maximizing the mass rate of carbon monoxide and maintain sufficient temperature above 1000° C. to 1500° C. in the gasification stage to maximize the conversion of tars and light hydrocarbons.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,501, issued Feb. 24, 2004, to Schanke et al., there is disclosed an optimum integration process for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and syngas production.
Among other features, the process instructs the conversion of natural gas or other fossil fuels to higher hydrocarbons where the natural gas or the fossil fuels is reacted with steam and oxygenic gas in a reforming zone to produce synthesis gas which primarily contains hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The synthesis gas is then passed into a Fischer-Tropsch reactor to produce a crude synthesis containing lower hydrocarbons, water and non-converted synthesis gas. Subsequently, the crude synthesis stream is separated in a recovery zone into a crude product stream containing heavier hydrocarbons, a water stream and a tail gas stream containing the remaining constituents. It is also taught that the tail gas stream is reformed in a separate steam reformer with steam and natural gas and then the sole reformed tail gas is introduced into the gas stream before being fed into the Fischer-Tropsch reactor.
In the reference, a high carbon dioxide stream is recycled back to an ATR in order to maximize the efficiency of the carbon in the process. It is further taught that the primary purpose of reforming and recycling the tail gas is to steam reform the lower hydrocarbons to carbon monoxide and hydrogen and as there is little in the way of light hydrocarbons, adding natural gas will therefore increase the carbon efficiency. There is no disclosure regarding the destruction of naphtha in an SMR or ATR to generate an excess volume of syngas with subsequent recycle to maximize hydrocarbon production. In the Schanke et al. reference, the patentees primarily focused on the production of the high carbon content syngas in a GTL environment using an ATR as crude synthesis stream and reforming the synthesis tail gas in an SMR with natural gas addition to create optimum conditions that feed to the Fischer-Tropsch reactor.
In respect of other progress that has been made in this field of technology, the art is replete with significant advances in, not only gasification of solid carbon feeds, but also methodology for the preparation of syngas, management of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in a GTL plant, the Fischer-Tropsch reactors management of hydrogen, and the conversion of biomass feedstock into hydrocarbon liquid transportation fuels, inter alia. The following is a representative list of other such references. This includes: U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,776,114; 6,765,025; 6,512,018; 6,147,126; 6,133,328; 7,855,235; 7,846,979; 6,147,126; 7,004,985; 6,048,449; 7,208,530; 6,730,285; 6,872,753, as well as United States Patent Application Publication Nos. US2010/0113624; US2004/0181313; US2010/0036181; US2010/0216898; US2008/0021122; US 2008/0115415; and US 2010/0000153.